Candlestock.



UNIE

ROBERT PHILIP, OF BOFORS, SWEDEN.

CANDLESTOCK.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT PHILIP, a subject of the King of Sweden, residing at Bofors, in the county of Orebro and Kingdom of Sweden, have invented new and useful Improvements in Candlestock, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a novel material for producing candles and has for its object to provide a candle, the body of which is substantially white in color, at least as white as a stearin candle. Another object is to provide a candle with a body strong enough to resist the high temperatures in the torrid zones without danger of softening.

Pure paraffin candles are rarely manufactured but the so-called paraffin candles are often made of a mixture of paraifin with some stearin, which latter is added for the purpose of facilitating the removal of the candles from the molds. Candles with a stearin content of about 15% to 50% are usually called composition candles and show the characters mentioned.

It has been proposed to harden paraffin candles by molding a mixture of parafiin and stearin by which addition the otherwise transparent parafiin candles become more opaque, of a white color and harder, than candles made of parafiin alone. A too high percentage of stearin will, however, lower the melting point in an undue de gree. For instance, a percentage of 25% stearin effects a lowering in the melting point of a pure paraffin candle mass by about 2 to 3 degrees centigrade, and 50% stearin lowers the melting point as much as 10 degrees centigrade, owing to the formation of a so-called eutectic or easily fusible mixture.

Also other substances which dissolve in molten paraffin will cause the same effect. For this reason it is desirable that only a small quantity of the hardening material be added. The hardening substances hitherto used, are mostly substances the melting point of which lies considerably above the melting point of paraffin, for instance soaps of fatty acids (as stearate or palmitate of ammonium) amids or anilids of fatty acids, waxes, as carnauba wax or similar substances.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 5, 1917.

Application filed July 29, 1916. Serial No. 112,192.

siderable alteration in the characters of the mass. The transparency decreases, so that a candle produced of this mixture looks white, and with a somewhat increased percentage of salicylic acid, candles whiter than those made of stearin are produced, the flexibility of the candle decreases and the fractured surfaces are finely grained. The hardness increases with the percentage of salicylic acid used.

The reason for the changes in the physical properties of the candles, by the addition of salicylic acid appears to be that the salicylic acid is originally dissolved in the fused paraffin, and upon cooling the acid is separated out as very small crystals, which in turn cause the parafi'm to also assume a finely granular condition, during the hardening. This produces a very fine net work, which can be considered as a supporting frame, thereby producing the decreased flexibility, also to a certain extent, the increased hardness. The solidification temperature is lowered by the addition of the small amounts of salicylic acid referred to above, by about 1 centigrade.

In making candles it is preferable to add a small percentage of stearin or similar material, for making the candles readily removable from the molds, also for making the candles more fusible. The fusibility of mixtures of stearin and paraiiin is more favorable than with pure paraffin, and also the addition of stearin facilitates the fine distribution in the mass of salicylic acid employed.

In the production of the candle mixture, the salicylic acid may be dissolved in the melted stearin and added to the melted paraffin, or the salicylic acid may be dissolved in the melted mixture of stearin and paraffin.

I WVithout limiting myself to specific pro- That I claim is:

portions, I give the following examples of 1. The herein described material for mak- 15 mixtures suitable for use in making candles. ing candles which contains para'ffin and sali- V r cylic' acid. a 5 A V B 2. The herein described material for Paraffin 79% 88% making candles Which comprises parafiin, Stearin 20% 10% stearin and salicylicacid. c 'Salicylic acid 10% 2% I In testimony'whereof I have'affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses," 10 For making candles for ordinary pur- ROBERT PHILIP.

poses I prefer generally to employ about WVitnesses: V 10% of the stearin although I do'not de- GusTAF SET sire to limit myself to this proportion. V ADoLF MiiL N.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 'Washington, D. C. 

